On January 8, 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a press release concerning the release of an unnamed “Honduran national” from the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. That press release, and the subsequent media reports, are blatantly false.
The “Honduran national,” was brought to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on July 18, 2023, on charges of Carnal Knowledge, Possession of Child Pornography, and Manufacturing Child Pornography. Contrary to information in the press release, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office did not charge this individual with any criminal offenses. This individual’s criminal charges were brought by another local law enforcement agency.
The individual was brought to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center at 8:45 p.m. on July 18, 2023. At that time a full check to determine the existence of any outstanding detainers or warrants was conducted. None existed. Upon being served with the criminal charges, the magistrate immediately gave this individual a $1,000 bond on each of his three charges. The individual then paid that bond and was released at 11:45 p.m. on the same day, July 18, 2023. In the three hours this individual was in the custody of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, at no time was an ICE detainer or outstanding warrant provided to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
To correct this misinformation, numerous phone calls were placed to ICE media relations. E-mails, calls, and text messages to numerous officials within ICE were sent and remain unanswered. Additionally, the above information was sent to FOX5 one hour prior to the publication of an erroneous news story and acknowledged. FOX5 chose to report ICE’s misinformation rather than recall this false story. They chose to do so despite the fact that the Sheriff’s Office provided specific information contradicting their narrative.
The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state, and federal laws regarding the holding of inmates on outstanding detainers and warrants and routinely works with all public safety agencies to ensure the safety of our community.